


Mistaken

by loopyhoopyfrood



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, communication chaos, more like lack-of-communication chaos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:39:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10021157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loopyhoopyfrood/pseuds/loopyhoopyfrood
Summary: Phryne invites him home to continue where they left off.Jack pulls up outside her house and knocks on her door.My submission for the Communication Chaos prompt.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my (last minute) entry for the February Communication Chaos prompt. Someone (me) forgot that this month was only 28 days, and so despite having had the original idea sometime during the first week pretty much the entire thing was written today. It hasn't been beta read by anyone except me, and I've been staring at it for the past 7 hours, so please do let me know if I made any mistakes. (Also I forgot I needed a title and summary, so they're a bit lame. Sorry)
> 
> Enjoy!

Phryne gasped in the cold night air as his lips ran their way down her cheek to seek out the spot on her neck he had recently discovered to be her most sensitive. He found it quickly, and her body eagerly reacted, arching into him to press itself against his warm chest. One of her hands tightened its grip in his hair, pulling him even closer whilst the fingers of the other journeyed down his spine in pleasure. His large hands encompassed her waist, and the texture of his elaborate carnival mask provided an unfamiliar sensation as his kisses dared to drop even lower.

“Perhaps,” Phryne managed to murmur, acutely aware of the party still in full swing beyond the balcony doors even as she ran a foot up the inside of her companion’s leg, “We should move our activities to a more… appropriate location?”

“I think,” His deep voice murmured in return, “That’s probably a good idea. We wouldn’t wish to scandalise your dear aunt.”

“I scandalise my aunt on many occasion.” Phryne retorted, relinquishing her grip as a final kiss was placed upon her shoulder before the body that had been pressed against her own reluctantly pulled away. She refused to let him depart entirely however, her fingers tracing the sleeves of his dinner jacket before her hands came to rest on top of the larger pair that had begun to remove themselves from her waist.

“Consider it my reputation being upheld then, if yours is already marred.”

Phryne laughed, leaning forwards to banish the teasing smile that was the only hint of expression beneath the dress-code required mask with a passionate kiss that was eagerly returned.

“If your concern is with upholding your reputation, I may have to rethink my plans.”

“Sounds promising. Why don’t you tell me what these plans are-” His mouth moved from her cheek to nip her earlobe, and Phryne felt a shiver dance down her spine, “-and we can decide how much of my already precarious reputation I’m willing to sacrifice?”

“Well when you put it like that…”

It was Phryne who once again initiated their next kiss, her head tilting upwards as her lips ghosted along his jawline until eventually finding his mouth. He barely allowed her a second before his teeth grasped her bottom lip, eliciting a soft moan.

“I was thinking,” she said as she gently pulled her mouth away just far enough to free herself, before making her way up the other side of his jaw, peppering kisses between her words, “we could make our way back inside, go our separate ways whilst we mingle with the other guests, and then leave together when the party comes to its natural conclusion, or-”

“‘Or’ sounds appealing.”

“Or we could make our way back inside just long enough to collect our coats, before hopping into my car and continuing this-” she reached the end of his jaw and mirrored his earlier teasing, her teeth nipping the bottom of his ear, “-in my boudoir.”

The last three words were said in a whisper, and Phryne smiled as a low moan breathed past her cheek.

“But if you’re still concerned about your reputation…”

“Damn my reputation.”

The frank statement, announced for her ears only, sent a thrill coursing through Phryne’s veins. His deep voice was laced with a want that mirrored her own, and despite their agreement that her aunt’s balcony was not the most acceptable of locations, his hands once again pulled her into him.

“I can’t leave my car.” He said, somehow still able to think semi-logically despite the entrancing perfume and soft silk that filled his senses, “Would you perhaps allow me the honour of driving you home?”

“Of course not.”

With a teasing smile, Phryne finally removed herself from his hold, returning to the balcony doors with a walk so graceful and sensuous it could almost be considered dancing. Upon reaching them she turned back, unable to help laughing at the confusion and hurt evident on her lover’s face.

“You know I can’t abide your driving.” She continued, sending a slow wink his way, “But you can follow me, if you can keep up.”

With that she disappeared in a swirl of her silk skirt and a flash of her red lipstick, leaving behind a man who couldn’t help but smile and shake his head before adjusting his tie and following her inside.

 

 

Jack carefully eased his dark blue motor to a stop, pulling up opposite the tall, elaborate house on the corner. He took a moment to check he had arrived at the right place, taking in the delicate balconies and meticulously maintained hedging before his gaze landed on the red motorcar sat outside the front gate. It probably cost more than he could even imagine possessing and managed to gleam despite the cloud covered night sky. His job meant he was no stranger to neighbourhoods such as this, but as he took a moment to once again straighten his tie he couldn’t help but wonder how he had ended up here.

As he stepped out of his vehicle, silently closing the door behind him, he allowed himself a brief sigh of gratitude for the lateness of the hour. Despite it being far from his first experience of such circumstances, he was acutely aware that his blue woollen suit and common motor were clear signs that he could never reside here, and the fact that those who did were most likely safely asleep provided a welcome relief from the gossip and rumours that frequently accompanied him whenever he had cause to visit.

Crossing the empty road, he quietly pushed open the wrought iron gate and made his way down the neat pathway to the front door. He climbed the two steps, but paused at the top, taking a deep breath in anticipation of what awaited him inside. He found himself adjusting his tie once more, and quickly pushed his hand into his pocket before realising the need to remove it again in order to announce his arrival. Doing so, he sounded a firm knock on the brown door, and took a step back to wait for the lady who resided just beyond.

 

 

Phryne had only just removed her jewelled mask when the knock echoed through the hallway, announcing her visitor’s arrival. She rose from the window seat from where she had watched the dark blue car pull up across the street and admired its occupants figure as he strode towards her residence. Straightening the creases in her full skirt and sending a fleeting glance at her reflection as she passed the wall mounted mirror, she entered the hall, having already warned Mr B of her plans for the evening.

The door was opened with a flourish, and Phryne took a moment to examine the man stood on her porch with an appreciative eye. His mask had been removed sometime during the drive, leaving him all the more appealing. His hands were deep in his trouser pockets, and his face displayed an expression that, although sinfully attractive, was far too serious for the activities she had planned. He opened his mouth, presumably to speak, but Phryne had other ideas. Before he had even taken a breath he found himself grasped firmly by the lapels of his long grey coat and suddenly the door was closing behind him and a pair of soft lips were pressed against his own. His brain barely had time to process the sensation before he found himself being pushed against the door he had just entered through, being forced backwards even as he was pulled in by his lapels, his hands automatically moving to steady the woman now pressed up against his chest. Phryne deepened the kiss, encouraging him to reciprocate, and was rewarded with an involuntary moan as her tongue skirted his bottom lip. Pleased, she moved her attentions to his jawline, exploring the rough texture with her mouth as her hands moved from his lapels to push his coat from his shoulders.

“What are-”

“Shh.” Capturing his mouth once more with her own she cut off the words he’d barely even managed to begin. Her hands moved from his shoulders to the front of his suit jacket, and he became dimly aware that his coat was now lying in a puddle at his feet. His mind was still struggling to catch up, and before he knew it his jacket was sliding off his shoulders, buttons undone, and falling to add to the fabric now piled on the floor. The contents of his pockets caused a dull thud as the garment landed, and the sound jerked him to a sharp awareness of his position. He pulled his face away, his hands dropping from her hips as if they’d been burnt.

“I-”

“Think there are far more interesting things we could be doing than talking.” Finished Phryne, too impatient to continue the verbal dance that had lead them to this point. She captured his mouth in another kiss, putting an immediate stop to any passing thoughts of communication.

 

 

Before Jack even had a chance to think about composing himself, a hand clasped itself around his tie, pulling it from his waistcoat and he found himself being pulled up the elaborate staircase, his jacket and coat discarded behind them. A voice in his head told him he should make some sort of attempt to take control of the situation, but the woman currently leading him along the upstairs hallway seemed determined to give him no opportunity in which to do so. He gave a fleeting consideration to resisting, to attempting to assert himself, but the pressure currently being exerted on his neck made him think it would maybe be safer to wait until she’d finished dragging him around by his tie to do so.

The chance came sooner than he’d thought, as they reached the end of the hallway and entered what was clearly a bedroom, although Jack tried his hardest to pay little attention to the room’s décor, instead focusing on the woman in front of him. She gave him little time to take in her appearance however, and Jack found himself pressed against a door for the second time since his arrival. He cleared his throat, but as was becoming a common occurrence he found his attempt at speech halted by a passionate kiss that had him clutching at the wood behind him for balance. A pair of hands slipped around his neck and a silken-clad body pressed itself again his own. Again for the second time he instinctively reached out to steady her, but as his hands moved towards her waist she rose up onto her tiptoes and he instead found himself grasping slightly lower than intended. She didn’t seem to mind, rising up even higher and throwing a leg around him, and suddenly his hands were resting on the underside of her thighs to steady her. She moaned, expelling air into his mouth as their lips remained locked, and it proved the final straw.

“STOP!”

Jack forced his face away, dropping his hands from their precarious position with only the slightest twinge of guilt as the woman currently wrapped around him dropped heavily to her feet. Acutely aware that the door he was currently pressed again was preventing him from removing himself entirely, he gently placed his palms against her shoulders and pushed her away. She thankfully took the less than subtle hint, and, unlocking her hands from the back of his neck, took two steps back. Jack took a deep breath, both in relief and as an attempt to buy some time in which to compose himself.

“What’s wrong?”

He raised his eyebrows, his jaw dropping slightly. She honestly sounded sincere, and Jack simply couldn’t comprehend her question.

“Look, I’m not sure who you are-”

“I didn’t think the mask was that good of a disguise.” Phryne quipped, but despite her teasing she was beginning to get a sinking suspicion that something was not quite right.

“Mask? What are you on about?”

“From the party?”

Phryne took another step back as the sinking suspicion was gradually joined by a growing horror. Now that she was no longer occupied with continuing where she had left off on her aunt’s balcony, she actually took the time to examine the man she’d dragged into her bedroom, and she had the terrible feeling that her suspicion was about to be confirmed.

“What party?” The man in front of her straightened up, reaching up without conscious thought to neaten his dishevelled tie. Self-consciously he tucked it back into his waistcoat, smoothing the creases before quickly redoing the few buttons she’d managed to undo.

“With Aunt Prudence…” Phryne trailed off, realising before she had even begun that she may have made a slight misjudgement.

“I’ve spent the entire night examining a crime scene.” He said far too calmly, his furrowed brow clear evidence of his utter confusion. He sincerely hoped he wasn’t blushing. Aware that the time for subtly had passed, he decided to simply come out with it. “Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, and I was here to inform you off the death of your husband.”

A stunned silence fell, and although Phryne had never been one for embarrassment at that moment she wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor and disappear. Given that such a thing was currently not an option, she instead decided that the best defence was a good offence, and stuck out her hand.

“The Honourable Phryne Fisher.” She said, ignoring the quickly supressed amused quirk of his eyebrow at the word honourable. Realising her offer of a handshake was being ignored, a response she was unable to take offence to, she let her hand drop back to her side. “And I regret to inform you that I don’t have a husband, at least to my knowledge.”

“Ah.” Jack’s brow furrowed even further, and he began to get the uncomfortable impression that the misunderstanding may not have been entirely one sided. “So you’re not…”

Reaching for his notebook, it wasn’t until his hand grasped at thin air that he remembered the jacket it resided in was currently lying abandoned by the front door.

“The person you’re looking for?” Never one for seriousness, Phryne was quickly beginning to see the humorous side of the situation, and from the barely noticeable twitch at the corner of the inspector’s mouth she gathered she wasn’t alone. “It appears you’re not the only one.”

“Indeed, I apologise for the intrusion.”

At that Phryne couldn’t help but laugh, the utter ridiculousness of both his statement and the situation in general hitting her as Jack looked on in bewilderment.

“I hardly think you’re the one who should be apologising Inspector.”

“Yes, well.” Jack pushed his hands back into his pockets, desperately trying to regain some sort of dignity. He had to admit the situation was somewhat amusing, or at least he thought it would be when he allowed himself to look back at it after several glasses of whiskey, but currently his embarrassment was overruling his desire to join in her laughter. “These things happen.”

“Ah, so you find yourself assaulted by strange women often then?”

“I didn’t- I mean- No-”

Jack was now certain that despite his best efforts his face was flushed a brilliant red, and although he prided himself on his ability to maintain his composure he had the distinct feeling that this woman had managed to throw him off balance in a way that even the most hardened criminal never had. 

“Why don’t I see you out?” Phryne said eventually, taking pity on him.

Jack managed a thanks that at least attempted nonchalance, and Phryne accepted it with a nod before moving to the side. It took Jack a moment to realise that he was still blocking the exit, and he quickly removed himself from the doorway. His blush only darkened at the amused smile Phryne sent his way, and he was immensely grateful when she opened the door and he could follow her back to the lower hall.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way down the curved staircase and back to the front door, but Phryne couldn’t help but sneak more than a lingering glance at him at they reached the hall. He was of a similar build to her earlier companion, and given the party’s instance on carnival masks and the lack of light as he’d approached her door she could forgive herself for not immediately realising the case of mistaken identity. However in the soft light of her home she could clearly see the differences. He was no less attractive than the man she’d danced with, in fact in the privacy of her mind she could freely consider him more so, but the wool of his suit and stiffness of his stance set him apart from the social class who had been present at the evening’s soiree. It was clear now that this was not the man she’d invited home with her, but examining his impressive figure she couldn’t help but fail to feel sorry for the mix-up.

Realising the inappropriateness of continuing her current train of thought, Phryne knelt to retrieve her accidental guest’s clothing, only to find that Jack had clearly had the same idea. Their hands brushed as they both reached for his jacket, and Jack immediately pulled away, the small touch somehow more embarrassing than all that had already happened. Sheepishly he stood, accepting his garments and slipping back into them, finding himself relax slightly as he fastened the last button. He straightened his hat, noting with some surprise that it had remained on his head throughout everything, and felt obliged to nod a goodbye as he opened the front door, suddenly desperate to escape.

 

 

Phryne watched as the inspector made his way down her garden path, politely closing the gate behind him, before she shut the front door and made her way to the parlour. Pouring herself a drink, she perched on the window seat and pulled back the lace curtain to watch the dark blue car pull away and disappear from view. A glance at the clock on the mantelpiece told her it was far too early in the morning, and so she made a mental note to call Mac at a more decent hour. She was sure the inspector would be horrified to know she would be sharing the story of her night with her friend, but the whole situation was just too ridiculous to keep to herself. Plus, she thought with a hint of regret as she remembered the taste of his lips on hers, it wasn’t as if she was ever going to see him again.

 

 

Jack groaned as he finally returned home and caught sight of the time. The night’s events had left him with only a few hours before he was due back at the station, and with a sigh he wondered his chances of getting away with sleeping in his office under the pretence of paperwork. Not wanting to wake his wife, he hung his coat and jacket by the door, relegating himself to another night away from their bedroom. Not bothering to remove his waistcoat, he collapsed on the couch, loosening his tie and tilting his hat over his closed eyes to block the light that was already beginning to peak through the curtains. He’d found the right address eventually, although there was a constable he would be having stern words with when he arrived at work, and somehow he’d managed to block out the evening’s earlier events long enough to gently break the news to his victim’s actual wife. Now he was finally home, ready to grab a couple of hours sleep, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who’s house he’d first ended up at, remembering guiltily the feel of her soft lips on his. His last thought as he eventually drifted off to sleep was that maybe he would forgo telling Rosie of the incident. After all, it wasn’t as if he was ever going to see the woman again.

 

 

When Jack pounded on the door of the bathroom a few months later, he’d almost managed to forget about the incident entirely. When the door finally opened and he found himself face to face with a woman who was suddenly all too familiar, it all came rushing back.

“Inspector!” Phryne grinned. “How wonderful to see you again.”


End file.
